The Web Decision

The doors to Saguaro Shadows Photography were opened in January 2008. One of the first orders of business was to establish a presence on the web. I've got experience as a programmer, and even as an early web developer. But at this point in my life, I really did not want to spend the time to develop a polished website. So I began researching various web hosting options. I found 3 basic options: Do it yourself websites, Professionally designed and maintained websites, and Photographer specific website.

I liked the web companies that catered specifically to photographers. However, most of these companies wanted a lot of money upfront to get started (at the time, $1500 to $3000, althought prices have come down since the 2008 recession), and pretty stiff monthly fees to maintain. For a business just starting out, I felt these high-cost options were off the table for the moment.

What I finally settled on was a Smug Mug website. Smugmug provides site host for people who just want to share pictures, and professionals. For professionals, the site offers more customization and options. While still limited in the overall appearance and options on the site, it does give me a presence and a way for people to find me on the web. As soon as my business income picks up, I'll start looking again for a site than can provide me a more professional and unique looks. Some of the options I'm looking at in the future include:

ShowitFast

ImageQuix

Time Exposure's Web Gallery

Time Exposure's site allows you to sell your images to your client, but you maintain control. The orders are sent directly to you, rather than a printing service. This option is very appealing to me, as it allows me to stay very flexible in the products I provide my customers.